National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1887-07-01
Responsibility for the Surplus.

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Responsibility for the Surplus.
The effort ia being made by some of the
Democratic press to relieve that party OF the
responsibility for the accumulating surplus
in the treasury aud the resultant damage
TO the country.
Various methods are adopted by the Dem
ocratic papers in the effort to relieve their
marty of the condemnation which every one
sees will be visited upon Il by an indignant
people for its inability I'm handling. or at
tempting TO handle, the finances of the coun-
try.
During the campaign of 1884. two of the
stock charpes against the Republican marty.
which reverberated from every Demoaratic
stump In the country. were that the Re-
publicans were accumulatine an immense
surplus in the treasury, and that they were
continually robbing the treasury.
A Democrat went into office as Secretary
of the Treasury, and every dollar OF the
money-yes, svery cent of twas accounted
for, and In his first report this secretary
declared there was no surplus over what
the law required.
IL ia true that the income of the govern
mentis collected under laws mostly made
by Republicans, vet when they managed
the finances OF the country they were wise
enough, even against Democratic opposi-
tion, to so arrange the country's debts that
any surplus could be applied to their pay
ment.
Now, let the facts aud the law show
where the responsibility rests for the pres.
ent condition of affairs. The President is
Democrat, the Secretary Of the Treasury
is Democrat, and the House OF Repre-
sentatlves has large Democratic majority.
These are facts that will not be disputed.
The constitution says the President ''shlll
from time to time give to the Congress 10
formation Of the state Of the Union, AMI
recommend TO their consideration su.h
measures as he shall judge necessary aud
expedient." The statutes require the
Secretary of the Treasury TO make rep orti
siand give informationu to Congress and
tho constitution r.nu,rss all IegIslotion os
% ~ oo,,oo,ior 90 ,rono, n, b.n,r a., TIN
I nS..,e' '
house VI Hepresen'ati'es'
These are the facts aud the law. GA the
9th Of December, 1856, Congress convened,
and the Democratic President discharged
his duty in the nfaInisnS nv sending IL
,nessoge which was rand m tha Nan, ocrat,c
house anu pfin'eu.
In that message inc ffesiueht eApianeu
mat the revenues were largely IN Excess Ky e oi
the expenditures top precise'~ereSoo'voo,
5ss'oo In excess ior the hseai year. "n.cn
ehded June oo, 1861 anu s.a.ea SuaV WIN
esumateo expenditures Vi s@oo,ooo'oOo 1ue
excess OF receipts over expenditures wouiu
De sVo,ooo,ooo ior the nsc" year enu'hg
yesterday.
This was "infcrmation" which the law
required him to give. Ihen he made
recommendations such as the law requires.
lie suggested reaue'on o. me reoen"es.
lie not only suggested put ne urged IL,
closing his remarks upon this subject III the
ioilo"ing 'anguuse' ...
recommend that, keeping In view all these
considerations the lncreasips anu uhneces-
.z-sary surplus OF national income annually ac-
cunplating be released 10 the people sy an
amehdment TO our revenue laws wh'ch snail
cheapan the price OF the necessaries OF llie
andsgite lreer entrance 10 such imported ma
ienais as oy american iaoor may pe ha"u'
iae.u,eu lh'o ha, Ae'a"'u uy DS'ahnS ,'n'n.o, Il,
Sosnns ean ,r,,s ,s,ah' nnadoa rasorn, ~,
lssS Tho snbieot IA approached in A patriotic
spirit of devotion to the Interests OF the entire
country and with willingness to yield some
thing for the public good
The same day the Secretary OF the Treas
ury sent his message to Congress- which
was also printed. Page after page OF that
document is devoted to the subject OF
showing that the income was greater than
the expenditures, and that IL was absolutely
necessary, not only from patriouc, out
from party standpoint TO reduce the In
come. Secretary Manning after quoting
in an official paper, addressed 10 the Con-
gress OF the United states' rom 'he Demo
cratic PLATFORM urged upon MS party asso-
ciates In the House tne passage oi laws 10
reduce the income lie sa'u'
The financial situation, scanned at large and
as a whole, plainly indicates our pest pollcy